Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the combined total value was of sums sought from insurers by way of NHS recoupment by the Compensation Recovery Unit for the last two complete financial years under both the Road Traffic (NHS Charges) Act 1999 and the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The table below details the sums sought by DWP Compensation Recovery Unit (CRU) in relation to settled compensation claims from insurers by way of NHS recoupment for the last two complete financial years under the specified Acts.
Financial Year | NHS Monies Sought |
2017/18 | £200,386,425 |
2016/17 | £205,728,286 |
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of universal credit on the financial circumstances of long-term resident EEA Nationals who no longer have worker status.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
We have not made such an assessment but we continue to monitor our policies.
Within the 2016 EEA Immigration Regulations and 2013 Universal Credit Regulations, an EEA citizen who is no longer a worker or a self-employed person can retain the status of a worker whilst involuntarily unemployed. EEA citizens who are exercising a qualified right to reside, such as ‘retained worker’ status are eligible to access Universal Credit.
A link to the regulations are below:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2016/1052/made
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2013/9780111531938/regulation/9
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total sum recovered via the Compensation Recovery Unit was by way of NHS recoupment under (a) the Road Traffic (NHS Charges) Act 1999, (b) the Health and Personal Social Services Act (Northern Ireland) 2001, (c) the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003 and (d) the Recovery of Health Services NHS Charges (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 in the (i) 2016-17 and (ii) 2017-18.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The DWP Compensation Recovery Unit (CRU) does not routinely hold data on the value of NHS recoveries broken down to the level of detail requested. We can however, provide the combined total value of recoveries achieved by way of NHS recoupment for the last two complete financial years under both the Road Traffic (NHS Charges) Act 1999 and the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003:
Financial Year | Recoveries Achieved |
2017/18 | £199,331,172 |
2016/17 | £199,779,044 |
The DWP Compensation Recovery Unit (CRU) does not hold data on the total sum recovered via the Health and Personal Social Services Act (Northern Ireland) 2001 or the Recovery of Health Services NHS Charges (Northern Ireland) Order 2006. The Northern Ireland Social Security Agency (NISSA) operates primarily to deliver the above legislation and may be able to provide the information requested.
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average length of time was for telephone callers kept on hold before speaking to a Job Centre Plus adviser in each of the last 12 months for which data is available.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
Telephone calls made to a Jobcentre Plus Work Coach are made to the direct number they provide rather than via a switchboard. Although there is a facility to put the caller on hold, Jobcentre telephone systems do not record the length of time a caller is put on hold.
Universal Credit Full Service claimants can also contact their Work Coach and Case Manager via their online journal.
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the universal credit income taper and work allowances on gender equality in the labour market.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The Government now provides more support than ever before to help parents with the costs of childcare, including providing 15 hours a week of free childcare in England for all 3 and 4 year olds and disadvantaged 2 year olds, and doubling free childcare available for working parents of 3 and 4 year olds to 30 hours a week. We have also increased the level of support for childcare costs within Universal Credit from 70% to 85%, its highest ever level. This gives parents up to £646.35 per month for one child and £1108.04 per month for two or more children.
We know that the longer someone is out of the labour market, the harder it can be to return when they are ready. As a result parents will be helped to prepare for work when their youngest child is two, and look for work when they are three. This will give them the best chance of finding a job which fits in with their caring responsibilities. Work-related requirements are tailored to individual circumstances and compatible with child care responsibilities. Work coaches can consider caring responsibilities when setting availability and work search hours. This will also include work preparation activities.
In Universal Credit, there are none of the cliff edges or complicated hours rules of the old system, just a single, simple, taper so payments reduce in a transparent and predictable way as earnings increase. We know this is having a positive impact on employment outcomes, as shown in three separate research studies. The reports for these studies can be found at:
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the universal credit income taper and work allowances on women returning to work after childbirth.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The Government now provides more support than ever before to help parents with the costs of childcare, including providing 15 hours a week of free childcare in England for all 3 and 4 year olds and disadvantaged 2 year olds, and doubling free childcare available for working parents of 3 and 4 year olds to 30 hours a week. We have also increased the level of support for childcare costs within Universal Credit from 70% to 85%, its highest ever level. This gives parents up to £646.35 per month for one child and £1108.04 per month for two or more children.
We know that the longer someone is out of the labour market, the harder it can be to return when they are ready. As a result parents will be helped to prepare for work when their youngest child is two, and look for work when they are three. This will give them the best chance of finding a job which fits in with their caring responsibilities. Work-related requirements are tailored to individual circumstances and compatible with child care responsibilities. Work coaches can consider caring responsibilities when setting availability and work search hours. This will also include work preparation activities.
In Universal Credit, there are none of the cliff edges or complicated hours rules of the old system, just a single, simple, taper so payments reduce in a transparent and predictable way as earnings increase. We know this is having a positive impact on employment outcomes, as shown in three separate research studies. The reports for these studies can be found at:
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of universal credit rules on a mother's ability to return to work.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
Universal Credit is designed to strengthen incentives for parents to move into and progress in work, and it is working. Universal Credit claimants move into work faster and spend more time looking for work.
The Government now provides more support than ever before to help parents with the costs of childcare, including providing 15 hours a week of free childcare in England for all 3 and 4 year olds and disadvantaged 2 year olds, and doubling free childcare available for working parents of 3 and 4 year olds to 30 hours a week. We have also increased the level of support for childcare costs within Universal Credit from 70% to 85%, its highest ever level. This gives parents up to £646.35 per month for one child and £1108.04 per month for two or more children.
We know that the longer someone is out of the labour market, the harder it can be to return when they are ready. As a result parents will be helped to prepare for work when their youngest child is two, and look for work when they are three. This will give them the best chance of finding a job which fits in with their caring responsibilities. Work-related requirements are tailored to individual circumstances and compatible with child care responsibilities. Work coaches can consider caring responsibilities when setting availability and work search hours. This will also include work preparation activities.
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether responsible carers and lone parents in receipt of legacy benefits and universal credit are required to use the Universal Jobmatch site to look for work; and whether activity on that site can be used as a measure of a claimant actively seeking work.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
Universal Credit claimants who are subject to “all work-related requirements” and those claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance are expected to take all reasonable action to look for and take up paid work. This can include the requirement to use the Universal Jobmatch site to look for work.
For responsible carers and lone parents receiving Universal Credit or Jobseeker’s Allowance, there are specific flexibilities to safeguard and help them balance their caring responsibilities with work search and availability requirements, so any requirements set are realistic and achievable.
Activity on Universal Jobmatch can be used as evidence of a claimant actively seeking work.
All work-related requirements are set in discussion with claimants, who take ownership of planning how they will meet the requirements and ultimately secure employment. The requirements any claimant is asked to meet are clearly set out in their Claimant Commitment.
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of whether there is a sufficient number of vacancies advertised on the Universal Jobmatch site for responsible carers and lone parents with children aged between five and 12 years old who are required to look for work of at least 25 per hours per week in order to receive universal credit.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
We have made no assessment of the sufficiency of the number of roles with part time or flexible hours advertised on Universal Jobmatch. However, full-time roles can be explored on a part-time basis and vice versa.
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of whether there is a sufficient number of part-time vacancies on the Universal Jobmatch site suitable for carers and lone parents with pre-school aged children who will be required to look for work in order to receive universal credit.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
We have made no assessment of the sufficiency of the number of roles with part time or flexible hours advertised on Universal Jobmatch. However, full-time roles can be explored on a part-time basis and vice versa.